CA2265225A1 - Heat sealing apparatus with die cutting device - Google Patents

Heat sealing apparatus with die cutting device Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2265225A1
CA2265225A1 CA 2265225 CA2265225A CA2265225A1 CA 2265225 A1 CA2265225 A1 CA 2265225A1 CA 2265225 CA2265225 CA 2265225 CA 2265225 A CA2265225 A CA 2265225A CA 2265225 A1 CA2265225 A1 CA 2265225A1
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
cups
row
web
cavities
die
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2265225
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Ivonis Mazzarolo
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA 2265225 priority Critical patent/CA2265225A1/en
Publication of CA2265225A1 publication Critical patent/CA2265225A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65BMACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B7/00Closing containers or receptacles after filling
    • B65B7/16Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
    • B65B7/162Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by feeding web material to securing means
    • B65B7/164Securing by heat-sealing

Abstract

The improvement to a heat sealing apparatus wherein a continuous web is conveyed over and heat sealed to a row of concurrently conveyed filled pre-formed cups consists in a die cutting device mounted at the output end of the apparatus where the web, with cups sealed to the undersurface thereof, is die cut to form separate individual filled covered cups. The covered cups are collected while the continuous web with cut-out holes therein is wound onto a roll. The pre-formed cups are not subjected to the die-cut operation.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Heat sealing apparatus with die cutting device.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for heat sealing a lid to a pre-formed cup or recipient: More particularly, the invention relates to an improvement in the making of individual condiment filled covered cups obtained by such apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various apparatuses and methods are known for packaging individual portions of condiments, such as coffee cream or milk, in a cup which is heat sealed to a lid. Such methods include the use of a sheet of heat sealable material which is placed over several cups and wherein the rims of the cups are heat sealed to the sheet. In some cases, the method consists of using pre-cut lids interconnected by severable tabs which are then heat sealed to the cup rims. In other cases, a sheet of heat sealable material is placed over the cups and portions of the material are heat sealed to the rims; the containers then proceed to a next station where the sealed portions are die cut from the sheet to form separate liquid filled cups.
United States patent No. 3,911,640 issued October 14, 1975 to Rausing pertains to a method for forming, filling and sealing containers under aseptic conditions from a first web of substantially impermeable thermoformable material which comprises forming a plurality of container elements in the first web, introducing a filler material into the container elements, applying a second web of substantially impermeable thermoformable material to the filled container elements and sealing the second web to the first web to close and seal the filled container elements.
The filled and sealed containers are thereafter separated after leaving a sterile chamber.
United States patent No. 4,565,052 issued January 21, 1986 to Hautemont comprises a process for packaging a product which consist of longitudinally advancing a thermoplastic base web downstream through a plurality of work stations, forming a row of receptacles in each successive zone of the base web in a forming station, filling a row of receptacles with a product covering and sealing the covering web to the base web and cutting-out the field and sealed receptacles from the base and covering webs in a cutting station.
United States patent No. 4,176,507 issued December 4, 1979 to Mancini discloses an apparatus for heat sealing a lid of a series of like lids interconnected by several tabs to an opened container; the containers are momentarily station beneath the lid heat sealing and tab severance station to press and heat seal and align lid into a supported container rim. The tab which interconnects the sealed lid to the supply of series of interconnected lids is severed prior to the conveyor advancing the next container to be sealed.
In the above described methods and apparatuses, the severance step is achieved by means of a cut through two material webs resulting in an important waste of material. In some cases one of the web material may be aluminum foil thus affecting recycling of the waste material which cannot be used to form future thermoplastics webs.
It has been noted that, in such apparatuses where a cutting-out step is carried out, a major problem exists in the alignment of the web covered recipients in the cutting device. Such misalignment results in time loss due to stopping the operation of the machine, clearing it of debris and unacceptable lid covered recipients, re-positioning the web and its sealed recipients in the machine, and re-starting the operation.
OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above problems existing with various types of heat sealing machines.
This is achieved by providing a machine which uses pre-formed cups which are brought to a heat sealing station and subsequently to a die-cut station, the latter being disposed at the outer end of the heat sealing machine wherein the pre-formed filled cups, heat sealed to the underface of the web material are properly located and a positioning station prior to the die-cutting operation.
The present invention therefore relates to an improvement in an apparatus for heat sealing a lid to an open-top filled pre-formed cup wherein successive rows of laterally disposed filled plastic pre-formed cups are conveyed concurrently with and under a continuous heat sealable web to a condiment filling and heat sealing station where the web is heat sealed to the top edges of the cups to form a continuous uncut web, with a series of filled cups sealingly attached therebeneath, the improvement comprising:
(a) a die cut device disposed at the output end of the condiment filling and heat sealing station to receive the web with rows of cups sealed thereto, the die cut device comprising:
(1) a bottom plate having a first row of laterally disposed cup positioning cavities to receive and position a row of cups therein, and a second row of laterally disposed die cut cavities longitudinally disposed downstream of the first row to subsequently receive the first row of cups therein;
and (2) a second plate disposed vertically above the first plate having a series of cutting faces disposed vertically above the second row of cavities, the cutting faces having a shape corresponding substantially to the contour of the top edges of the cups;
(b) means for bringing the plates in contact with one another so as to sever the web material at the said contour to thereby separate, from the web, the filled cups with die cut lids sealed thereon and to thereby form separate individual lid covered cups;
(c) means allowing discharge of the separate individual cups;
and (d) means collecting the continuous web having cut-out holes therein as a result of a die cutting operation.
In one form of the invention, the bottom plate is moved upwardly towards the top plate during the die cutting operation.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that this detailed description, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, is given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
IN THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic side elevational view of a heat sealing apparatus equipped with a die cutting device at its output end in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the die cutting device at the output end the heat sealing apparatus;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of an individual lid covered cup obtained from the die cutting device;
Figure 4 is a schematic top plan view of the sheet, partly broken away, passing through the die cutting device;
Figure 5 is a schematic cross sectional view of the die cutting device prior to a die cutting operation; and Figure 6 is a view similar to that of figure 5 after the cutting operation.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to figure 1, there is shown a conventional packaging machine, generally designated 10, having a supporting base 12 enclosing conveying and driving mechanisms (not shown) for its operation. Over a condiment filling and heat sealing station 14 of the machine, a series of laterally disposed chutes 16, in which are lodged open top pre-formed cups, convey the cups onto a conveyor 20 (see figure 2) having a series of laterally spaced cup receiving and supporting openings 22. Condiments, such as coffee cream or milk, contained in a recipient 24 is fed to the laterally disposed opened top cups by means of a conduit 26. A roll 28 mounted to the frame of the machine feeds a continuous web sheet 30 of a thermoplastics heat sealable material over the conveyor and the opened top cups. A heat sealing device 32 seals the sheet 30 to the top edges of the condiment filled containers 18'.
The above described heat sealing machine is well known and does not require further detailed description.
The present invention is concerned with providing a die cutting device or station, generally denoted 34, at the output end of the machine 12.
Referring to figure 2, the sheet 30 with its filled pre-formed cups 18 sealed to its under surface travels between a top plate 36 and a bottom plate 38 forming parts of the die cutting device.
Referring also to figure 4, the top plate 36 is fixedly secured to a die cutting frame 35 and to four cylindrical supports 40, 42, 44, 46. The bottom plate 38 has four circular openings through which the supports 40, 42, 44 and 46 extend allowing the bottom plate to be vertically displaceable to and from the top plate 36. Annular stoppers, such as those shown as 48 and 50, limit the vertical displacement of the bottom plate 38.
Referring more particularly to figure 4, the bottom plate 38 further comprises a first row of laterally disposed cup receiving cavities 52 and a second row of laterally disposed cavities 54, which row is disposed downstream of the first row relative to the displacement of the web 30 as indicated by arrow 55. The cavities 52 have a shape corresponding to that of the condiment receiving portion of the cup 18 while the holes 54 have a shape corresponding slightly greater than the overall contour of the top 56 (shown in figure 3) of the lid covered filled cup 18'. This top part 56 has a peripheral portion 58 which is heat sealed to the flanged edge 60 of the cup;
it also defines a tab portion 62 to facilitate the removal of the lid from the cup for use.
Referring to figure 5, the top plate 36 has a series of laterally disposed die cutting faces, one of which is shown as 64, each having a configuration corresponding substantially to the outer contour of the top edge 56 of the cup 18'.
The web 30 with a cut-out holes 80 (see figure 4) is wound onto a roll 66 (see figure 1 ) mounted to the frame of the machine aft the die cutting station 34.
The operation of the die cutting station will now be described, first with reference to figure 5. The web 30 with the filled cups 18 sealingly attached therebeneath are conveyed at the output end of the machine to the die cutting station 34. Due to the particular position of a roll 67, the web travels slightly lower that the bottom wall 69 of the top plate 36. A first row of laterally disposed cups are positioned over the first row of cavities 52.
Through a synchronizing arrangement with the conveyor drive mechanism of the machine 10, the vertical displacement of the bottom plate 38 is accomplished by means of a chain 70 rotating a cam wheel 72. During this vertical displacement, the sloping walls of the cavities 52 frictionally direct the cups 18 in a proper positioning thus achieving adequate positioning of the cups in the die cutting device prior to the die cutting operation itself.
Referring to figure 6, as the bottom plate 38 reaches its upper most position, the web is moved against the die cutting faces 64 where the web material is cut at the contour of the top edges of the pre-formed cup to thereby separate the cups 18 from the web sheet 30. In the embodiment illustrated, the cups 18' fall by gravity through an opening 76 in the bottom part of the die cutting device. Referring back to figure 4, the web 30 with its series of cut out holes 80 is wound onto the roll 66.
The separate filled cups 18' may be collected in a bin 82 (see figure 1 ) or may be directed by other conveying means (not shown) to other cup collecting equipment.
Although the invention has been described above with respect with one specific form, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that it may be modified and refined in various ways. It is therefore wished to have it understood that the present invention should not be limited in scope, except by the terms of the following claims.

Claims (10)

1. In an apparatus for heat sealing a lid to an open-top filled cup wherein successive rows of laterally disposed pre-formed plastic cups are conveyed concurrently with and under a continuous heat sealable web to a condiment filling and heat sealing station where the web is heat sealed to top edges of the cups to form a continuous uncut web, having a series of filled cups sealingly attached therebeneath, which is conveyed to an output end of said apparatus, the improvement comprising:
(a) a die cut device disposed at said output end of said station to receive said web with rows of cups sealed thereto, said die cut device comprising:
(1) a bottom plate having a first row of laterally disposed cup positioning cavities to receive and position a row of cups therein, and a second row of laterally disposed die cut cavities disposed downstream of said first row to subsequently receive said first row of cups therein; and (2) a second plate disposed vertically above said first plate having a series of cutting faces disposed vertically above said second row of cavities, said cutting faces having a shape corresponding substantially to the contour of said top edges of said cups;
(b) means for bringing said plates in contact with one another so as to sever said web at said contour to thereby separate, from said web, said filled cups having die cut lids sealed thereon and to thereby form separate individual lid covered cups;
(c) means allowing discharge of said individual cups; and (d) means collecting said continuous web having cut-out holes therein as a result of die cutting.
2. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said bottom plate is moved upwards towards said top plate during die cutting.
3. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said collecting means consist of a roll onto which said web with cut-out holes is wound after die cutting.
4. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for bringing said plates in contact with one another include means to synchronize the movement of said bottom plate with means for conveying said cups during heat sealing.
5. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cavities of said first row have a shape corresponding to that of said preformed cups.
6. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cavities of said second row are holes having a size allowing said filled cups to fall through after being die cut.
7. A method for filling, sealing and separating containers under septic conditions comprising the steps of:

- conveying a series of laterally disposed preformed plastic cups to a heat sealing station of a heat sealing apparatus;
- conveying a continuous web of heat sealable material over said series of preformed cups;
- filling said opened top preformed cups with condiments;
- heat sealing said continuous web material to the top edges of said filled preformed cups;
- conveying said continuous web material with said filled cups sealed to the undersurface thereof to a die cutting station mounted at the output end of said apparatus;
- positioning a first row of laterally disposed cups into a first row of laterally disposed cup positioning cavities; thereafter moving said first row of laterally disposed cups from said first row of cavities to a second row of laterally disposed die cut cavities disposed downstream of said first row;
- severing said laterally disposed cups in said second row by cutting said web material at the contour of the top edges of the cups to form separate individual cups which are discharged through said second row of cavities after being cut; and - collecting said continuous web having cut-out holes therein as a result of said die cutting step.
8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein said die cutting station comprises a bottom plate having said first and second rows or laterally disposed cup positioning cavities and a second plate disposed vertically above said first plate and having a series of cutting faces disposed vertically above said second row of cavities; moving said bottom plate upwards towards said top plate for die-cutting.
9. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein said continuous web having cut-out holes therein is wound onto a roll.
10. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising the step of synchronizing the movement of said bottom plate with means for conveying said cups during heat sealing.
CA 2265225 1999-03-11 1999-03-11 Heat sealing apparatus with die cutting device Abandoned CA2265225A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2265225 CA2265225A1 (en) 1999-03-11 1999-03-11 Heat sealing apparatus with die cutting device

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2265225 CA2265225A1 (en) 1999-03-11 1999-03-11 Heat sealing apparatus with die cutting device

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2265225A1 true CA2265225A1 (en) 2000-09-11

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2265225 Abandoned CA2265225A1 (en) 1999-03-11 1999-03-11 Heat sealing apparatus with die cutting device

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CA (1) CA2265225A1 (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20130118117A1 (en) * 2011-11-11 2013-05-16 Jason J. Grobbel Sealing die assembly for form fill packaging machine
CN108216714A (en) * 2018-01-11 2018-06-29 深圳市新产业生物医学工程股份有限公司 Flaky medium closure cap applying apparatus
CN113525797A (en) * 2021-06-08 2021-10-22 安徽天马生物科技有限公司 Health care sliced medicinal herbs automatic filling machine
CN113581514A (en) * 2021-08-17 2021-11-02 江苏拜明生物技术有限公司 Integral type filling equipment

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20130118117A1 (en) * 2011-11-11 2013-05-16 Jason J. Grobbel Sealing die assembly for form fill packaging machine
US9174751B2 (en) * 2011-11-11 2015-11-03 Jason J. Grobbel Sealing die assembly for form fill packaging machine
CN108216714A (en) * 2018-01-11 2018-06-29 深圳市新产业生物医学工程股份有限公司 Flaky medium closure cap applying apparatus
CN108216714B (en) * 2018-01-11 2024-04-02 深圳市新产业生物医学工程股份有限公司 Sheet type medium capping equipment
CN113525797A (en) * 2021-06-08 2021-10-22 安徽天马生物科技有限公司 Health care sliced medicinal herbs automatic filling machine
CN113581514A (en) * 2021-08-17 2021-11-02 江苏拜明生物技术有限公司 Integral type filling equipment

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