THERMAL SEALING PACKAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THERMAL SEALING PACKAGING

• US 20110023421A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teraoka Seiko Company Limited, ULMA Packaging Scoop
• Original Assignee: Teraoka Seiko Company Limited, ULMA Packaging Technological Center, S.Coop.
• Inventors: Katayama, Takashi, Izquierdo, Eneko
• Granted Patent: US 8,474,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/477
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/02 responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/10 responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/18 causing operation of audible or visible alarm signals
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/005 for removing material by cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/025 for applying, e.g. printing, code or date marks on material prior to packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/08 using rotary cutters
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/045 for single articles, e.g. tablets

Abstract

A thermal seal packaging systems and methods thereof. In one implementation a thermal sealing packaging system has a container transfer unit for transferring a container which is to contain a package item, a measuring unit for measuring the weight of the item that is loaded in the container being transported before it is loaded into the container, a capping film supply unit for a capping film to cover the opening area of the container, an indication means for indicating the measurement data of the measurement unit on the capping film, and a sealing unit for heat-sealing an opening area of the container, into which the package item is loaded, with the capping film, the opening area of the container into which the item is loaded is covered by the capping film on which the corresponding measurement data is indicated.

Claims

1. A thermal sealing packaging system comprising:

a container transfer unit for transferring a container adapted for being loaded with a package item;

a measuring unit configured to measure the weight of the package item before the package item is loaded into the container;

a capping film supply unit that supplies a capping film adapted for covering an opening area of the container;

a printing apparatus adapted to print measurement data of the package item measured by the measuring unit on the capping film before the capping film is positioned to cover the opening area of the container; and

a sealing unit adapted to thermally seal the opening area of the container with the capping film after the package item has been loaded into the opening area, the thermal sealing packaging system controlled in such a way that the opening area of the container into which the package item is loaded is covered by the capping film with corresponding measurement data being previously printed on the capping film.

2. The thermal sealing packaging system according to claim 1, comprising a supply unit that loads the measured package item into the container, the supply unit adapted to receive a plurality of containers from the container transfer unit and being provided with a container assignment unit that assigns a particular container for the measured packaged item to be loaded therein, the supply unit adapted to store printing position information useable for printing the measurement data on the capping film in correspondence with each container assignment unit.

3. The thermal seal packaging system according to claim 1 comprising a package item detection unit that detects whether or not a container is loaded with a package item, the package item detection unit being arranged in the vicinity of the container detection unit.

4. The thermal seal packaging system according to claim 2 comprising a package item detection unit that detects whether or not a container is loaded with a package item, the package item detection unit being arranged in the vicinity of the container detection unit.

5. The thermal sealing packaging system according to claim 3, wherein the packaging system is controlled in a way such that the next process is executed only when it is detected that the entire amount of the package item arranged on the measuring unit is removed in addition to the loading of the package item into the container detected by the package item detection unit.

6. The thermal sealing packaging system according to claim 4, wherein the packaging system is controlled in a way such that the next process is executed only when it is detected that the entire amount of the package item arranged on the measuring unit is removed in addition to the loading of the package item into the container detected by the package item detection unit.

7. The thermal sealing packaging system according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of package item detection units are installed and identified individually, storing measurement data outputted by the measurement unit in conjunction with the container detection information from the identified package item detection unit.

8. The thermal sealing packaging system according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of package item detection units are installed and identified individually, storing measurement data outputted by the measurement unit in conjunction with the container detection information from the identified package item detection unit.

9. The thermal seal packaging system according to claim 3, further comprising an error reporting unit for reporting an error when the package item is loaded mistakenly into a container different from the container assigned by the container assignment unit.

10. The thermal seal packaging system according to claim 4, further comprising an error reporting unit for reporting an error when the package item is loaded mistakenly into a container different from the container assigned by the container assignment unit.

11. The thermal seal packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the packaging system is controlled in a way the transfer of the container by the container transfer unit and the supply of the capping film by the capping film supply unit are intermittently driven, and the printing on the capping film by the printing apparatus is executed when the container is stopped to be loaded with the package item from the supply unit.

12. The thermal seal packaging system according to claim 2, wherein the packaging system is controlled in a way the transfer of the container by the container transfer unit and the supply of the capping film by the capping film supply unit are intermittently driven, and the printing on the capping film by the printing apparatus is executed when the container is stopped to be loaded with the package item from the supply unit.

13. A method for the thermal sealing of a container, the container having an opening area and adapted for containing a package item and to have the opening area covered and thermally sealed by a capping film after the package item has been loaded into the container, the method comprising:

a measuring process for measuring the weight of the packaging item prior to the loading of the packaging item into the container; and

a printing process for printing the weight obtained in the measuring process on the capping film prior to the capping film being positioned over the opening area of the container.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the container and the capping film that covers the opening of the container are synchronously transferred intermittently, and the measuring process and the printing process are executed in the same step in which the container and the capping film are both stopped in each step of transfer.