Patent ID: 6021621
Filing Date: 2000-02-08
Classification: B31B,B65B,Y10S

Abstract:
In a process for forming packages with reclosable fasteners on a form, fill and seal machine including a forming tube and cross sealing jaws the operation of which is controlled by a central processing unit, comprising the steps of:providing a film roll from which a continuous web of film is provided to the form, fill and seal machine, from which the package will be formed;providing a film guide mechanism for guiding the film from said film roll in a direction of film feed along a film course to the forming tube of the form fill, and seal machine;providing a rotor, having substantially symmetrical sides formed about its rotor axis, and each substantially symmetrical side has an outer edge that is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation;mounting said rotor on said form, fill and seal machine, such that its axis is transverse to the direction of film feed along the film course and each outer edge is spaced from said film course and movable to a position adjacent to the film course upon rotation of the rotor;providing a continuous supply of reclosable fastener material having a free end;feeding said free end of the reclosable fastener material to one of said outer edges of the rotor that is spaced from the film course such that a predetermined portion of reclosable fastener material has been fed to a final position on the rotor;retaining the predetermined portion of reclosable fastener material on the outer edge of the rotor at its final position on the rotor;providing a pair of cutter-fuser jaws for severing said continuous supply of reclosable fastener material from the portion retained on the outer edge of the rotor;providing a jaw position sensor to sense when the cutter-fuser jaws are fully closed;actuating said cutter-fuser jaws at a time such that they become fully closed as soon as the reclosable fastener material reaches its final position on the rotor;rotating the rotor about its axis in a first direction such that the outer edge along which the strip of reclosable fastener material has been retained is moved into the position adjacent to the film course;providing a bonding mechanism;bonding the strip of reclosable fastener material that is retained along the outer edge of the rotor adjacent to the film course to the surface of the film.