Abstract:
A sealer including a platen, a support assembly moveable relative to the platen, a guide clip connected to the support assembly, and a tooling assembly having a body defining a notch therein, wherein the notch is engageable by the guide clip to align the tooling assembly relative to the support assembly.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present application relates generally to sealing devices and associated tooling and, more particularly, to heat sealers and interchangeable tooling therefor and means for aligning the interchangeable tooling in the heat sealer. 
     Sealers, such as heat sealers, are well known in the art for sealing various product packaging, such as medical trays, blister packages, clamshells and the like. Such product packaging typically includes a base and a lid, wherein the base receives the product to be packaged and the lid is sealed to the base to secure the product therein. The lid and the base may be formed as a single piece of packaging material or as separate components. 
     In a traditional heat sealing process, the base of the product packaging is positioned in a support structure having appropriate tooling, the product is then positioned in the base, the lid is positioned over the base, and the support structure is positioned for engagement by a heated platen. The heated platen is advanced into engagement with the support structure to simultaneously apply heat and pressure to the base and the lid to seal the lid to the base, thereby forming the final sealed package. 
     The tooling used to receive the packaging base during sealing is typically selected based upon the size and shape of the product being packaged. Therefore, when selecting and positioning appropriate tooling in a sealing device, proper alignment between the tooling and the heated platen is necessary to achieve appropriate sealing results. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a heat sealer having interchangeable tooling, wherein the tooling is properly aligned with the heated platen when positioned in the heat sealer. Furthermore, there is a need for heat sealer tooling adapted to be used in various heat sealers without presenting the problem of misalignment between the tooling and the heated platen. Still furthermore, there is a need for a heat sealer having interchangeable tooling and means for properly aligning the interchangeable tooling in the heat sealer. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the disclosed sealer may include a platen, a support assembly moveable relative to the platen, a guide clip connected to the support assembly, and a tooling assembly having a body defining a notch therein, wherein the notch is engageable by the guide clip to align the tooling assembly relative to the support assembly. 
     In another aspect, the disclosed sealer may include a housing, a platen positioned in the housing and moveable relative to the housing between a disengaged position and an engaged position, a support assembly moveable relative to the housing between a loading position, wherein at least a portion of the support assembly is generally external of the housing, and an engaged, wherein at least a portion of the support assembly is disposed within the housing, the support assembly defining an opening therein, a guide clip connected to the support assembly, and a tooling assembly having a body defining a notch and at least one compartment therein, wherein at least a portion of the body is received through the opening and at least a portion of the guide clip is received in the notch to align the tooling assembly relative to the support assembly. 
     In another aspect, the disclosed tooling alignment system may include a support assembly having a guide clip connected thereto and a tooling assembly having a notch formed therein, wherein the notch is sized and shaped to closely receive at least of portion of the guide clip when the tooling assembly is supported on, and properly aligned with, the support assembly, 
     Other aspects of the disclosed sealer with interchangeable tooling and associated systems and methods will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top plan view of one aspect of the disclosed sealer with interchangeable tooling; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a shuttle plate of the heat sealer of  FIG. 1  receiving a first tooling assembly therein; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the shuttle plate of the heat sealer of  FIG. 1  receiving a second tooling assembly therein; 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the shuttle plate and the first tooling assembly of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of a guide clip of the heat sealer of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , one aspect of the disclosed sealer with interchangeable tooling, generally designated  10 , may include a sealer housing  12 , a platen  14 , a support assembly  16 , a tooling assembly  18 , also referred to as tooling, and a guide clip  20 . The platen  14  may be a heated platen and may be moveably positioned within the sealer housing  12 . In particular, the platen  14  may be moveable from a withdrawn or disengaged position to an engaged position in which the platen  14  has been advanced into close engagement with the tooling  18  to apply pressure and, optionally, heat to product packaging (not shown) positioned in the tooling  18 . 
     The support assembly  16  may be any support structure that receives and supports the tooling  18  and counteracts the downward force applied to the tooling  18  by the platen  14  during sealing. The support assembly  16  may be moveable relative to the housing  12  by various means such that the support assembly  16 , or a portion thereof, may be generally external of the housing  12  to facilitate loading, and generally internal of the housing  12  during a sealing operation. 
     In one aspect, the support assembly  16  may be a reciprocating shuttle that is moveable along a shuttle track (not shown) or the like between a loading position and an engaged position. In the loading position, the shuttle, or a portion thereof, may be generally external of the housing  12  such that a user may load the tooling  18  with various packaging substrates and products to be sealed. In the engaged position, the shuttle, or a portion thereof, may be positioned generally within the housing  12  such that the tooling  18  positioned in the shuttle may be aligned with the platen  14 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the support assembly  16  may be a generally rigid, planar piece of material and may define an inner opening  22  therein for receiving tooling  18 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the size and shape of the opening  22  may be dictated by the size and shape of the tooling  18  intended to be received by the support assembly  16 . For example, the opening  22  may be generally rectangular in shape and may have dimensions of about 15 inches by about 29 inches. Examples of appropriate materials for forming the support assembly  16  include metals, such as aluminum and aluminum alloys. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , the tooling  18  may include a body  24  having an upper surface  26 , flanges  28 ,  30 , one or more compartments  32  and a notch  34 . The flanges  28 ,  30  may extend generally outwardly from the upper surface  26  of the body  24 . The compartments  32  may be formed in the body  24  and may be sized and shaped to receive various packaging components (e.g., the base of a clamshell) therein. Tooling  18 , and in particular, the compartments  32  formed therein, may be adapted for a specific type of product packaging. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , alternative, interchangeable tooling  18 ′ may be used with the disclosed sealer  10 . Like tooling  18  ( FIG. 2 ), tooling  18 ′ may include a notch  34 ′, one or more compartments  32 ′, a body  24 ′ having an upper surface  26 ′, and flanges  28 ′,  30 ′ extending outwardly from the upper surface  26 ′ of the body  24 ′. The compartments  32 ′ may have a different size and/or shape than the compartments  32  ( FIG. 2 ) and may be adapted for sealing a different type of product packaging. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ may be formed from a generally rigid material, such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, that is capable of withstanding the forces exerted by the platen  14 . For example, the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ may be formed from a solid block of aluminum using a computer numerical control (“CNC”) machining process, thereby providing tooling  18 ,  18 ′ that has a substantially flat upper surface  26 ,  26 ′ with optimal dimensional accuracy. 
     The lower portion  25 ,  25 ′ of the body  24 ,  24 ′ of the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ may be sized and shaped to pass through the opening  22  in the support assembly  16 , while the flanges  28 ,  30 ,  28 ′,  30 ′ may extend sufficiently outwardly from the body  24 ,  24 ′ to engage the upper surface  17  of the support assembly  16 . Therefore, the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ may be supported by the support assembly  16 . 
     In a specific example, the opening  22  in the support assembly  16  may have a width W and the width of the lower portion  25 ,  25 ′ of the body  24 ,  24 ′ of the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ may be less than the width W of the opening  22 . However, the flanges  28 ,  30 ,  28 ′,  30 ′ may extend beyond the width W of the opening  22  such that the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ is supported on the support assembly  16 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the guide clip  20  may include two legs  36 ,  38  extending from a spacer  40 . One or more of the legs  36 ,  38  of the guide clip  20  may be sized and shaped to closely engage the notch  34 ,  34 ′ in the tooling  18 ,  18 ′. The spacing between the distal ends of the legs  36 ,  38  may be less than the spacing between the proximal portions of the legs  36 ,  38  such that the guide clip  20  may apply a pinching force to a body (e.g., support assembly  16 ) positioned between the legs  36 ,  38 . Optionally, a locking screw  42  may be threaded through a threaded recess  44  in the leg  38 . The locking screw  42  may include a distal end  46  adapted to engage the body positioned between the legs  36 ,  38 . 
     While guide clip  20  is illustrated and discussed as having a particular structure and function, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various types and styles of guide clips may be used to engage the notch  34 ,  34 ′ in the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ as disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the guide clip  20  may be integral with the support assembly  16 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , the guide clip  20  may be connected to the support assembly  16  at a specific location on the support assembly  16 . For example, as discussed above, the guide clip  20  may be connected to the support assembly  16  by way of the pinching force exerted by the guide clip  20  and/or by engaging the support assembly  16  with the locking screw  42 . Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the connection between the guide clip  20  and the support assembly  16  may be generally permanent or semi-permanent by, for example, welding the guide clip  20  onto the support assembly  16 . 
     Thus, when the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ is positioned into engagement with the support assembly  16 , the notch  34 ,  34 ′ in the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ may be engaged by the guide clip  20 , thereby ensuring that the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ is properly aligned relative to the support assembly  16 . It will be appreciated that proper alignment of the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ relative to the platen  14  may be achieved by ensuring proper alignment of the tooling  18 ,  18 ′ relative to the support assembly  16 . 
     At this point, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various tooling  18 ,  18 ′ may be prepared for use with a given sealer  10 . Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the use of a guide clip  20  to achieve alignment, as disclosed herein, allows for the use of tooling  18 ,  18 ′ that is substantially smaller than the support assembly  16 , thereby reducing the amount of materials and processing required to construct useful tooling  18 ,  18 ′ and ultimately reducing costs. 
     Although various aspects of the disclosed sealer with interchangeable tooling have been shown and described, modifications may occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification. The present application includes such modifications and is limited only by the scope of the claims.