RU2243930C2 - Clamp - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: packing equipment, particularly means for closing mouth of polyethylene bag with milk during content consumption by user in air-tight manner.

SUBSTANCE: clamp is formed as integral member with two arms connected one to another by weakened fold line and having grooved interaction surfaces. Arms perform movement one relative another. One arm faces another one so that groove of this arm encloses convexity of groove made in another arm. Each arm groove has trapezoidal shape with 5° angle of side inclination. Clamp has locking member formed as extension of one arm end part connected with working arm part by weakened fold line.

EFFECT: possibility of complete bag air-tightness, simplified production and decreased cost.

8 cl, 10 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to devices for tightly closing a section of a bag made primarily of polyethylene or similar elastic material in the process of using the contents of the bag by the consumer, and can be used in food, in particular milk processing, in chemical or other industries manufacturing liquid products in hermetically sealed bags, as a component of the package, increasing its consumer qualities.

State of the art

Known clip for tight closing of packages with elastic walls (see application No. 99111712, 65 D 33/16, publ. 10.04.01). The known clamp includes an elastic pin around which the walls of the packet to be closed can be wrapped, and a terminal having an internal cavity connected to a slot located along the length of the terminal. The terminal cavity is configured to accommodate an elastic pin with the walls of the package wound thereon, while the elastic pin is rotatable inside the terminal cavity, and said clamping elements are made of materials having their own elasticity.

The use of such a clamp is accompanied by a number of disadvantages. The process of closing the bag is too time-consuming and time-consuming for this kind of action, since it is necessary to wind the bag walls around the studs and only then install the pin with the bag walls wrapped in the cavity of the terminal, and in order to ensure tightness, the pin must be rotated in the terminal cavity. At the same time, it is necessary that the walls of the bag before winding are carefully aligned and flattened, otherwise the pin with the wrapped walls of the bag may simply not fit in the terminal cavity or rotation will be impossible to ensure sealing. Thus, the above solution is characterized by very low utilitarian properties and cannot be widely used.

As a prototype of the claimed solution, the design of a plastic clamp was adopted (see RU 2093438, B 65 D 33/16, publ. 20.10.97), made in the form of a solid element with two mutually movable branches, at least one of which is equipped with an elastic jumper forming the interaction surface of another branch and having an arcuate convex shape. The branches are connected with the possibility of mutual movement by means of a weakened fold, while at the free ends of the branches there is a manually openable and automatically lockable lock including a locking tongue, which is a continuation of one of the branches, and a protrusion on the other clamp branch, fixed in the recess of the locking tongue.

The clip according to patent No. 2093438 provides a tight closure of plastic bags, due to the arched shape of an elastic jumper. The jumper is slightly curved, convex facing the space between the branches, while the convex surface is the interaction surface with another branch, which, in turn, is provided with a longitudinal protrusion that defines the interaction surface of this branch. However, the complete sealing, in particular, the exclusion of liquid from the bag, as, for example, is necessary for an incised bag with milk, the design of such a clamp will not be able to provide. Full sealing will not be achieved: firstly, due to the insufficient clamping effect that can be provided by a material such as plastic; secondly, in connection with the planar solution of the contact zone between the branches, which is characterized by a not very large width; thirdly, when assembling the walls of the bag, in cases where it is necessary to clamp a hole larger than the length of the clamp branches, the thickness of the clamped material will be uneven along the length of the branches, and, accordingly, in some areas where the material of the bag will be assembled in several layers, the pressing will be denser, and in areas where there will be only two closable walls, these walls will freely adjoin each other, i.e. when using the known clamp design, fluid will leak out between the walls to be closed. At the same time, the clamp is characterized by a relatively complicated design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The claimed invention solves the problem of creating the design of the clamp to close the slice, mainly of plastic bags, and, in particular, bags with milk, opened during its use, providing complete sealing of the bag closed by the clamp and characterized by ease of manufacture and significant low cost, allowing the use of the claimed device in in the form of a disposable clamp as applied to one liter packet of milk.

The problem is solved in that in the clamp, made in the form of an integral element with two mutually movable branches, interconnected by means of a weakened fold, having interaction surfaces and a locking element that is a continuation of one of the branches, according to the claimed invention, the interaction surfaces are grooved and turned to each other with the possibility of concavity of the trough of one branch of the convex part of the trough of another branch. That is, in the claimed solution, the interaction surface of one branch is the concave surface of the trough (the surface of its hollow volume), and the interaction surface of the other branch mating with the concave surface of this branch is the external, convex surface of the identical shape of the trench covered by the said concavity.

The execution of the branches of the clamp in such a way that their interaction is not in the same plane (not providing sealing), as is the case in the prototype, and not on the cylindrical surface (significantly complicating the design and use), as is the case in the analogue, but in combination planes organized in a grooved surface (i.e., a surface having planar or close to planar zones with differently oriented in space and docking lines of these zones, including rib lines), provides technical one result - a reliable tight package while simultaneously closing the cutoff constructive simplicity of the device performance and ease of application. Partially, the sealing is due to the fact that the grooved shape, which includes flat side walls in opposite directions in space, connected in a certain way, creates a space-curved zone of pressing the closable walls of the package, which to some extent prevents the movement of fluid between these walls. In addition, the implementation of the interaction surfaces of the grooved shape can significantly increase the area of the wall pressing zone while maintaining the small size of the clamp as a whole, which also helps to increase the tightness of the closed package. At the same time, the grooved shape of the interaction surfaces determines the stiffness of the clamp branches along their length, and such a structural design determines the increased resistance of the product to deformation forces: two grooved clamp branches when they are closed are a very rigid element, and therefore, the walls of the bag when they are closed with a clamp are reliably fixed, since the distortions between the branches of the clamp, which in known designs occur even with a slight third-party impact on the product, are excluded And as a result, cause depressurization.

Preferred is the implementation of the interaction surfaces of the branches of the clamp grooved shape with a trapezoidal profile, which is most effective in the sense of reliable sealing and simplicity of design. With this design, the pressure zone includes three planes - the planes of the side walls and the plane of the bottom of the gutter, and two rib contact lines of the interacting branches of the clamp. The combination of these elements determines the following - the planar parts of the surfaces of interaction of the clamp branches press the elastic walls of the package to each other, and the rib lines wedge the material, increasing the effectiveness of the solution. When using a clamp in relation to plastic bags, characterized by a high degree of elasticity, the wedging force of the trapezoidal profile of the branches causes a clamping and sealing effect even without force from the locking element.

It is optimal to perform a trapezoidal profile with an angle of deviation of the side walls of the trapezoid from the vertical equal to 5 degrees. The indicated value was established experimentally and at the same time provides the necessary degree of sealing and ease of use of the clamp: on the one hand, with such a profile there are optimal clamping and wedging forces between the interacting surfaces of the branches, balancing the elastic force of the polyethylene material and holding the bag in a closed state, on the other hand, lateral walls of the trapezoidal profile deflected by 5 degrees in opposite directions are guides that provide for the use of the clamp free entry of the protruding part of the grooved form of one branch of the clamp into the hollow volume of the groove of its other branch.

In specific cases, the execution of the claimed device, the grooved shape of the surfaces of the interaction of the branches of the clamp can be made with a V-shaped, or W-shaped, or U-shaped, or with a U-shaped profile. For any of the indicated solutions of the technical solution, the interaction of the clamp branches involves the interaction of surfaces having a grooved shape, consisting of sets of planar parts and rib lines or of sets of planar and curved parts, and providing a technical result, which consists in ensuring the sealing of a closed bag with simultaneous ease of use of the clamp .

It is rational and technologically advanced to make a clamp from a blank cut along a contour from sheet metal or tape metal material with the formation of a grooved shape of branches by plastic deformation of the workpiece material by means of an oppositely directed action of a stamping tool, and aluminum is the best material for such clamps. In this case, it is possible to manufacture products according to the claimed invention using technological waste from metal processing enterprises.

In the manufacture of the clamp, it is advisable to perform along the lateral edges of the clamp on the fold lines of the semicircular recesses. This design provides a weakening of the bend, which allows to improve the mutual mobility of the branches of the clamp, and at the same time, which is especially important in the case of the use of a metal material, smooths out the sharp corners of the product, which are undesirable when applying the clamp to plastic bags with liquid.

Advantageously, the locking element of the clamp is made either in the form of an extension of the end part of the branch, or in the form of a one-sided expansion of the end part of the branch connected with its working part by weakening the bend, in the first case, perpendicular, and in the second case, parallel to the longitudinal line of the clamp. This design provides fixation of the closed branches of the clamp and is characterized by simplicity of solution. It is also preferable in the manufacture of a clamp made of metal, and in particular aluminum, to use the end part of the clamp branch, whose grooved shape has an enveloping function, separated from the main part by means of a weakened fold.

For convenience of opening the clamp, the edge part of the locking element can be bent to the side opposite to the locking direction.

List of drawings

The claimed technical solution is illustrated by the following drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a General view (in perspective view) of a preferred embodiment of the clamp, the grooved shape of the interaction surfaces of which is made with a trapezoidal profile, in the open state;

figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the clamp in the closed state, in which the clamp closes the slice of the package;

figure 3 is a side view of the open clamp;

figure 4 is a view of figure 3;

figure 5 - section bb and bb in figure 3, i.e. cross sections of the clamp branch with a concave (covering) interaction surface (section B-B) and the clamp branch with a convex (covered) interaction surface (section B-B);

Fig.6 is a view (in plan) of a metal billet for making a clamp by stamping with a locking element in the form of a one-way extension of the end of the branch;

Fig.7 is the same, with a locking element in the form of an extension of the end of the branch;

on Fig is a view (in plan) stamped, but not bent along the fold line of the clamp;

in Fig.9 is a view C in Fig.8;

figure 10 is a view of a closed clamp mounted on a cut corner of the milk package;

Information confirming the possibility of carrying out the invention

An example of a specific implementation of the claimed device is a clamp, presented on the accompanying drawings. Such a clamp can be made of an aluminum billet (see Figs. 6, 7) by extruding the grooved shape of the clamp branches by means of a stamping tool with the oppositely directed action of this tool on one half of the workpiece (to form a grooved surface on one branch) with respect to the effect on the other half of the workpiece (for the formation of a grooved surface on the second branch) (see Fig.8, 9).

The clamp consists (see Fig. 1) of two mutually movable branches 1 and 2 connected by a weakened fold 3. Both branches include interaction surfaces 4 and 5, respectively, which are made in the form of a groove. Moreover, the said surfaces face each other so that the concave surface 5 of the branch 2, which is the inner surface of the hollow volume of the trough (i.e., the concavity of the trough), has the ability to cover the convex surface 4 of the branch 1, which is the convexity of the trough molded on the branch 1. The clamp contains a locking element 6, made in the form of an extension of the end part of the branch associated with its working part by means of a weakened bend, perpendicular to the longitudinal line of the clamp (see figure 1, 7, 8). The locking element of the clamp can also be made in the form of one-sided expansion of the end part of the branch connected by a weakened fold parallel to the longitudinal line of the clamp (see Figs. 3, 4, 6). On the lateral edges of the clamp on the lines of the weakened fold, semicircular recesses 7 are made (see Figs. 6, 7, 8), and the edge part 8 of the locking element is bent to the side opposite to the direction of locking of the clamp branches (see Figs. 1, 8, 9 ) The grooved shape of the clamp branches is made with a trapezoidal profile (see Fig. 2, 5), while the angle of deviation of the sides from the vertical is 5 degrees. Clips intended for closing plastic bags with milk have a workpiece width of 6 mm and are made with a side height of about 1.5 mm and a bottom part width for a branch with a convex interaction surface of 3 mm, and for a branch with a concave interaction surface of 3 ± 0 , 3 mm. Such dimensions are the most optimal and provide a dense closure of the branches clamping the cut walls of the plastic bag.

Using a clamp involves the following actions. The walls of the cut corner of the milk package 9 (see Fig. 10) are placed between the branches 1 and 2 of the open clamp, orienting the clamp along the cut line. Closing is closed by closing the branches, then jamming the material of the packet to be closed by slightly pressing the branches with two fingers (thumb and middle), after which the locking element 6 is folded with the index finger (on top of branch 1), thereby fixing the desired position of the clamp. To open the clamp, it is necessary to bend the locking element 6, grabbing it by the edge part 8, and open the branches of the clamp by lifting the branch 1 of the clamp, acting, almost effortlessly, on its end.

The inventive design of the clamp provides a tight closure of the cut parts of the walls of the plastic bag, characterized by the ease of use of the clamp and the low cost of its manufacture. Moreover, a clamp made of aluminum withstands up to 10-15 folds, which is sufficient for applying such a clamp to a liter milk package, therefore, the most optimal for the claimed solution is its use for the manufacture of clamps, which are component parts of milk bags, installed by the manufacturer of these products on corner of an undisclosed packet.

Claims (8)

1. The clamp, made in the form of an integral element with two mutually movable branches, interconnected by a weakened fold, having interaction surfaces and a locking element, which is a continuation of one of the branches, characterized in that the interaction surfaces are grooved in shape and face each other with the ability to cover the concavity of the trough of one branch of the convex part of the trough of another branch. 2. The clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the grooved shape is made with a trapezoidal profile. 3. The clamp according to claim 2, characterized in that the trapezoidal profile is made with an angle of deviation of the sides of the trapezoid from the vertical, equal to 5 °. 4. The clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the locking element is made in the form of an extension of the end part of the branch associated with its working part by means of a weakened bend perpendicular to the longitudinal line of the clamp. 5. A clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that semicircular recesses are made along the lateral edges of the clamp on weakened bending lines. 6. The clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the locking element is made in the form of one-sided expansion of the end part of the branch associated with its working part by means of a weakened bend parallel to the longitudinal line of the clamp. 7. The clamp according to claim 4, 5, or 6, characterized in that the edge part of the locking element is bent to the side opposite to the locking direction. 8. A clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is made of a blank cut from a sheet of metal or tape metal material, the shape of the surfaces of the interaction of the branches made by stamping with the opposite direction of the impact of the stamping tool.

Images