Patent ID: 6523325
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: B29C,B29D,B31B,B65B,B65D,Y10S

Abstract:
Apparatus for making a package having a reclosable interlocking seal including interfitting male and female parts and snap detents and end seals at opposite ends of the package, comprising in combination,a) means for transporting in lengthwise direction a web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length having thermoformable strips of a length substantially greater than the strip width, said strips being affixed to the web with the strip length oriented transversely to the running length of the film at package length intervals, b) a pair of spaced apart heated male and female dies for partly forming the inner and outer separable portions of the reclosable interlocking seal with the inner portion fitted within the outer portion, c) a forming collar and means for moving the film over said forming collar and around a cylindrical forming tube and forming a longitudinally sealed cylindrical tube of packaging film with the thermoformable strip inside the film tube in substantially ends-abutting relationship, and with the surface of the strip not secured to the film in facing relationship within the tube, said film moving means moving the portion of the tube within which the strip is disposed into position between said pair of spaced apart heated male and female dies, d) male and female dies moving means effective when actuated in a first way for moving said male and female dies toward one another to press the face of the strip not secured to the film against itself to form two apposed strip faces extending entirely across the film tube, and effective for continuing to move said dies toward one another into mating position and forming the central part of the strip extending across the film tube into a recess of said female die to form a tip of an arrowhead shape of the reclosable interlocking seal, said male and female dies moving means when actuated in a second way being effective to partially retract said male die and being effective when actuated in a third way to fully retract said male and female dies to their initial positions, e) a pair of spaced apart interlocking seal completing heated dies disposed at opposite sides of said female die and having open and closed positions, said interlocking seal completing dies being effective when closed to press portions of the margins of the strip immediately adjacent to the central part of the strip inward against one another to form an inturned base of the arrowhead shape in the inner and outer portions of the reclosable interlocking seal and hold the seal within the female die and said interlocking seal completing dies being effective when opened to release the formed seal from the said female die, and f) operating means actuatable for moving said interlocking seal completing heated dies between said open and closed positions.